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Updated Oct 16, 2026, 2:28 PM ET
Republican · 3 November 2026
Brent Taylor
Member of the Tennessee Senate from the 31st district (since 2023)
Brent Taylor, a Republican who has represented the 31st district in the Tennessee Senate since 2023, is his party's nominee for the open 9th congressional district seat in 2026 against Democrat Justin Pearson.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Brent Taylor.
Latest coverage
Live News
Recent media coverage for Brent Taylor.
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Congressional candidates debate the issues
The Moore County News report covers Tennessee’s U.S. House race in the newly redrawn 9th District (Lynchburg to Memphis), highlighting energy prices, data centers, and crime as key issues.
themoorecountynews.com
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The Midterm Battle over Data Centers: Memphis House Candidate Justin Pearson Fights Elon Musk’s xAI
The Democracy Now! segment focuses on Tennessee politics, not Georgia. It highlights Democratic state Representative Justin J.
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Herald partners with Williamson Inc. to share candidate interviews | Communities
The article highlights a partnership between Herald and Williamson Inc. to share candidate interviews across communities, including coverage relevant to Tennessee races such as Brent Taylor’s bid for U.S.
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Democrat Justin Pearson Rallies Williamson County Voters | News
Brent Taylor, a Republican State Senator (District 31, Shelby County) endorsed by Donald Trump, is challenging Democrat Justin Pearson in Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District race.
No story this week names this candidate.
- Born
- August 9, 1968
- Birthplace
- Batesville, Mississippi
- Education
- Northwest Mississippi Community College (degree in mortuary science)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Brent Taylor was born on August 9, 1968, in Batesville, Mississippi, and as a teenager worked in his father's hardware store and lumberyard. He earned a degree in mortuary science from Northwest Mississippi Community College and then moved to Memphis to begin his career. There he trained under local mentors in funeral service before starting his own enterprise with his wife, Kimberly.
Career
Brent Taylor won election to the Memphis City Council in 1995, running in a newly created second district made up of parts of East Memphis and recently annexed areas of Cordova; at 27 he became the youngest member elected to the council.
He was re-elected in 1999 with 82% of the vote and in 2003 without opposition, and he served as council chairman in 2003.
In 2002, after U.S. representative Ed Bryant left the 7th congressional district to run for the U.S. Senate, Taylor ran in the Republican primary for the seat and lost to state senator Marsha Blackburn.
In October 2011 Taylor was appointed to the Shelby County Commission to fill the unexpired term of Mike Carpenter, representing District 1, Position 3, until 2012. He won the 2022 election for Tennessee's 31st Senate district, defeating Democratic nominee Ruby-Powell Dennis and succeeding Brian Kelsey, and took office in 2023. In the Senate he has supported SJR0919, a proposed amendment to the Constitution of Tennessee that would remove bail for major capital crimes.
2026 race
Tennessee's 9th congressional district is based in Memphis and a portion of Tipton County.
The Democratic incumbent, Steve Cohen, was re-elected with 71.3% of the vote in 2024 and initially ran again, then withdrew his candidacy in May 2026 because of the Tennessee redistricting, leaving the seat open.
Brent Taylor won the Republican primary with 31,057 votes (46.0%), defeating state representative Todd Warner (26.3%), restaurant owner Jeremy Thompson (20.0%) and Charlotte Bergmann (7.6%).
His Democratic opponent is Justin Pearson, a state representative from the 86th district, and the general election is on November 3, 2026.